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Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) has introduced legislation that would establish standards for safe patient handling and injury prevention for health care workers, Ergonomics Today reports. Specifically, the Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act of 2009 would require the Occupational Safety and Hazards Administration to "develop and implement a standard to eliminate, to the greatest degree feasible based on technological and medical considerations, manual lifting of patients by direct-care registered nurses and other health care workers through the use of mechanical devices." Exceptions would be made in cases where it could compromise patient care, according to a release. In addition, the legislation would require that health care facilities implement safe patient handling and injury prevention standards, provide training on such standards to workers, and protect workers against employer retaliation in cases where they refuse to accept work assignments that violate safety standards. The legislation also calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to administer a $200 million grant program to cover the cost of acquiring safe patient handling equipment for eligible facilities. More than 20 organizations, including the Minnesota Nurses Association, the American Nurses Association and the National Organization for Women, have endorsed the legislation, which includes a companion House bill introduced by Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.). Commenting on the legislation, Franken noted that "nurses and health care workers shouldn't have to sacrifice their safety and their livelihood to help others," adding that "all of us benefit from the services these professionals provide, and by passing this legislation, we can help ensure they're able to safely continue in their important careers" (Anderson, Ergonomics Today, 10/19/09; United Americans Nurses AFL-CIO release, 10/15/09).